Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Off on a Tangent: I.M Pei speaks about the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

While I acknowledge that this link is not in any way related to peace in the Holy Land, I have been to and greatly enjoyed the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha and thought it was worth sharing the architect's brief comments on designing the building. The cubism-inspired building itself, situated on a man-made island in a nearly perfectly circular bay is incredible, especially when viewed down the palm-lined promenade linking the island museum with the shore of Doha. Inside however, is where the real treasure of the museum lies. I found the exhibits to be fascinating and informative, and the diversity of exhibits and ideas on art and its place in Islam made the museum one of the best I have had the opportunity to visit. I also credit the MIA-Doha fully for my inordinate knowledge of pearls, as during my visit the museum featured a temporary exhibit on pearling throughout history and pearl art.